Economic news in brief (Feb. 25)

Uzbek delegation discusses agro ties with central Iranian prov.

ARAK, Markazi Prov. – A delegation of Uzbek officials headed by the Central Asian state’s deputy agriculture minister met with a group of local businessmen and trade officials to explore new avenues for cooperation.

The Uzbekistani delegation discussed development of ties in the manufacturing of agricultural machinery, fisheries, flower growing, forestation and chicken and ostrich farming. The Uzbek minister lauded the progress made in the different economic sectors of Markazi Province, inviting the province’s industrialists and producers to an international agricultural machinery fair, which will be held later this year in the Uzbek capital city Tashkent.

N. Khorasan must do more to attract foreigner tourists 

BOJNURD, North Khorasan Prov. – Lack of even minimum tourism requirements have been long discouraging foreign tourists from visiting this northeastern Iranian province, which has a large number of attractions, including historical villages and mountainous forests.

The range of services, including catering, that can be offered by the province’s only hotel and about 70 hostels, is very limited. Recently, private investors have signed contracts with the provincial Cultural Heritage and Tourism officials over building two hotels in this province. However, a major problem associated with the country’s tourism industry is that the travel agencies and tour operators, due to lack of professionalism, are mostly incapable of providing foreign tourists with the required services, including tourist guide services.

TSE down 71.5 pts

TEHRAN – At the end of Sunday’s trade at the Tehran Stock Exchange, the main index (TEPIX) dropped 71.5 points to 9,893.53, ILNA reported.

Some 51.7 million shares were traded for Rls.161.85 billion at the TSE on Sunday, up 149% from Saturday’s trade. However, the main board index was down 106.42 points to 9,814.44 and the industrial index fell 62.8 points to 7,814.32. But the secondary board index was up 24.27 points to 9,332.58 and the financial intermediation index surged 17.3 points to 20,757.78.

Kerman to host olive festival in May

KERMAN – A national olive festival will be held in this southeastern provincial capital during the second week of May, IRNA quoted a local agriculture department official as saying on Sunday.

Olive farming in deserts, cultivation and harvest methods will be discussed during the two-day festival, the official added, saying that the problems of the local olive farmers are also to be addressed during the event. This year, he said, some 200 tons of olive has been collected from 2,800 hectares of land across the province. Kerman Province ranks 14 among Iranian provinces in terms of olive production.

Iran’s ceramic tiles exports confined to Iraq, Central Asia

TEHRAN – Iran has an annual ceramic tiles surplus of 50 million tons, but only a small amount of that can be exported as there are few markets demanding Iranian-made tiles: only Iraq and Central Asia.

Iran produces 170 million square meters of ceramic tiles every year of which only 100 million square meters is consumed inside, a ceramic tiles industrialist told ILNA on Sunday. Unfortunately, he said, the unofficial import of low quality Chinese ceramic tiles has added insult to injury, hurting the domestic manufacturers even worse. “This does not mean we don’t welcome the importation of high quality foreign-made products,” he added. He then put the annual export of ceramic tiles to Iraq at 10 million square meters.

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MNA